Who Dwells in Darkness?
by amber-firetongue
Summary: Kairi's lost, Riku's confused, Sora's trying to save the worlds, and Amber just wants to go home. OC centric, will include post-KHII event. No pairings yet.
1. Darkness

Hellos! This is my very, very first fanfic... so if it sucks, no flaming, ok? Reviews and criticisms welcome, I need a better title for this thing, so suggestions are welcome as well. Oh, and there might be along time betweeen updates... I've got all my hard classes this semester, plus two sports, plus a billion other little things. Sorry if I'm slow (I know I get impatient with other people sometimes!) but I'll try to write as often as I can.

Edit: You know what I said about flaming? Screw it. I don't care if you flame, just somebody plz let me know that they're actually reading this and not just accidentally clicking on it.

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Darkness.

Not as much the absence of light as the absence of everything else- no sound, no movement, no feelings at all.

She drifted in the darkness, vaguely trying to remember something, anything.

A name.

An event.

An emotion.

All she could recall was fighting… over something terribly, terribly important… what?

She couldn't remember… and finally she gave up, drifting further into the darkness.

_Darkness to match the darkness inside._

Where had that thought come from?

Something brushed against her hand, intertwined itself in her fingers. She looked down to see a softly glowing hand holding her own. A glowing arm connected it to the rest of the body. She gazed uncertainly at the face; she knew it from somewhere, she knew the name connected to it… but what was it?

_Evan…_

That seemed to fit. "Evan…" she said. The darkness absorbed the sound before it even left her mouth. She tried again. "My light." That fit too.

He smiled gently and brought his free hand to her cheek. She clutched at it, suddenly panicking. "Don't leave me!" The darkness swallowed her panicked cry like the ocean swallows a tear.

Because even if she couldn't quite remember this person, he was better than being alone in the darkness again.

Anything was better than being alone again.

_Never. I'm here as long as you want me._

He touched their clasped hands to her heart. She turned her face up to his, his features barely visible against the bright light of the door behind him (and when had that appeared?). "My light," she whispered again, and pressed her lips to his in a slow, sweet kiss.

_Forever…_

Then they turned and walked, hand in hand, through the door of light.


	2. A Streak of Light

Here's chapter two... chap three coming up as soon as my friends finish betaing.

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A streak of light.

A figure, just barely visible.

A splash, forcing the Rising Falls to obey the force of gravity just once as water rained down upon the town of Hollow Bastion.

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A very wet Leon kicked the door to Merlin's home open and half-dragged, half-carried an equally wet, unconscious girl to the bed.

"My my, what have we here," said Merlin, inspecting his unexpected house guest.

Leon concentrated on wringing his shirt out. "I found her in Rising Falls."

Yuffie bounced over to the bedside and leaned over their guest, seemingly concerned.

"What'd ya do, Leon, try to drown her?"

He snorted as he grabbed a chair, but said nothing, choosing instead to study the girl lying in front of him.

Everything about her face was delicate, like a china doll in a store window. Her nose sloped gently, ending in a soft point just above her full mouth. Curled lashes lay softly on high cheek bones. Golden-red wisps escaped the braid that tightly bound her hair.

"Who is she?" inquired Yuffie.

"I don-"began Leon, but he was immediately hushed by Merlin.

"I do believe she's waking up!" he exclaimed cheerfully. Indeed, she did seem to be stirring. Slight color began to return to her cheeks, and her hands clenched and unclenched, kneading the blankets beneath her. She rolled onto her side, facing them, her eyes still closed. A small sigh escaped her lips, and she opened her eyes a crack.

What she saw was obviously not what she expected to see, for she gasped into full alertness and scrambled back as far as the wall would let her. Her hand was on her belt, ready to draw the large knife that rested on her left hip.

Only now did Leon notice her (rather impressive) armament. Next to the large knife were two smaller throwing knives. She wore an archer's wrist guards, and the quiver on her back held a huge, unstrung longbow and at least twenty arrows of an unidentifiable fletching. He was willing to bet she had at least five more knives tucked away in the odd armor she wore.

The armor itself consisted mainly of a breastplate and loincloth. A sleeveless leather shirt cut just above the navel supported a scaly red breastplate. A leather strap with a few scales sown into it protected her from a knife to the throat, and spines jutting from her belt ensured anyone that grabbed her would be very sorry indeed. Her loincloth was simple, worn more for modesty than protection, but it was dyed a bright red. Pads of leather and scales covered the backs of her knees. Spines decorated each end of her shoes, and scales protected the soles.

"Who are you? And where am I?" she demanded. Leon almost smiled in admiration; the girl was obviously terrified, yet her voice was steady and her golden eyes never wavered.

And what interesting eyes they were; golden with spots of red, like garnets in a pot of honey.

Yuffie answered in her cheeriest, friendliest voice. "I'm Yuffie; this is Merlin-"she nodded towards the old man, "and this is Leon. He's the one that pulled you out of the water. What's your name?"

The girl relaxed slightly, although she never took her hand off of her knife. "I am Amber" was the quiet reply.

Yuffie grinned and stuck her hand out. "Nice ta meet ya, Amber, and welcome to Hollow Bastion." Amber shook her hand gingerly and dropped it as soon as possible.

"Is that where I am? It seems rather… different from my home."

"And where is that?" Yuffie pounced on her words enthusiastically. Amber smiled hesitantly, unsure why Yuffie was taking such an interest in her.

"The Cliffs of Fire… Do you know of it?" Merlin glanced at her sharply, then hurried off towards his pile of books, muttering under his breath.

"Nope," came the cheerful reply. "Leon?"

The brunette ignored her, focusing his attention on Amber. "Do you know how you got here?"

Amber shook her head, her red braid rasping quietly as it slid across the already dry scales of her armor. "No… all I remember is fighting, then darkness… then here." She stiffened suddenly when she remembered the darkness. "Evan! Where is he? He should be here; he was in the darkness with me. We walked through the door together. Did you rescue him, too?"

Leon shook his head slowly. "No. You were the only one in the water."

She paled. "Are you sure?"

He leaned forward slightly. "Amber. There was no one else there."

"No one at all?"

"_No one_."

Amber rested her head on her knees, visibly shaken. She took a deep breath, and then another. The duo before her waited curiously, wondering why she seemed so anxious.

When she raised her head again, her mouth was firmly set, and her eyes showed no emotion. Her voice was calm and level. "I'll just have to find him, then. He must have landed somewhere on this world; it's just question of where. I'll find him, somehow."

Yuffie sighed, but when she spoke, it was Leon she addressed, not Amber. "Why does this sound familiar?"

Leon thought for a moment, then buried his face in his hand with a groan. "Great. Another random person, dropping in from another world, off on a quest to save her friends. Please tell me you don't wield the Keyblade. One's already a handful."

Amber smiled with genuine amusement. "Don't worry, I can't use the Keyblade. That's Evan's weapon."

Merlin broke the silence that ensued by thumping a huge book down onto his round table. Muttering to himself, he flipped to a page and soon had his nose buried in it. Leon and Yuffie continued to stare at her. Amber shifted, beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"I take it you're surprised?" she offered hesitantly.

Yuffie spoke for the both of them to save Leon from cracking his stoic exterior. "Amber, he was being sarcastic when he said that. There are only two people that are supposed to have Keyblades, and as far as we know, Sora and Mickey still have theirs."

Now it was Amber's turn to stare in astonishment. "Of course there's more than two Keyblades! There are far, far too many worlds for two people to-"

She was interrupted by the harsh pealing of a bell. Yuffie and Leon immediately bolted for a closet, apparently arming themselves. Merlin just muttered even more fiercely.

"What is it?" asked Amber above the sound of the warning bell.

"The town's being attacked," Yuffie explained as she stuffed a shuriken into her belt. She paused, then looked at Amber. "We're undermanned. Can you fight?"

"Yes" was the immediate reply.

"Then arm up and let's go!"

Amber grabbed a spear from the weapons closet and followed Leon out the door, already grinning in anticipation of a fight.


	3. Old Friends, New Enemies

Third chapter up! Luv to flippy and sharpie, for being awesome and betaing.

I just realized I need a disclaimer. So here it is.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Amber and the Cliffs of Fire. She is mine. Back off.

Everything else belongs to Squarenix and Disney.

- - - - - - - - - - - - is POV change. (This is thinking.)

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Riku surveyed his army of Heartless through lazy, ice-blue eyes as it tumbled through the narrow stone valley. It consisted mainly of Shadows, but he had a large corps of Soldiers and a few Large Bodies as well. The newly liberated Hollow Bastion didn't stand a chance.

Although he still didn't understand why Maleficent wanted this castle so badly.

He watched the defending force take up positions in front of his army. The term _force_ was hardly adequate, though. Maybe _militia_ was better. Or, _whoever can hold a weapon without hurting themselves_.

He'd heard of insurmountable odds before, but really. Three people against an army? It was hardly fair.

Then the fight began, and he realized how unfair it really was.

His army was being slaughtered, particularly by the one in red. She didn't seem to be much as fighting as dancing an intricate ballet- the only difference being that every time she moved, another Heartless would disappear.

Why did she seem familiar?

He watched her demolish half his army, trying to place where he had seen her before. It finally came to him as he watched her effortlessly spear a Large Body. "Ah, shit," he said to himself. "This could get interesting." He walked slowly down to the battlefield.

By the time he arrived at the battle, it was almost over. Leon and Yuffie were watching Amber as she attacked the last small group of Heartless. Riku allowed her to finish destroying the last one before he attacked.

He swung his Darkblade in a side arc, aiming for her unprotected side. She twisted, deflecting his blade with the spear. Using her momentum, she brought the point to his throat. Riku knocked it aside easily, then aimed for _her_ throat. She ducked swiftly out of the way, then attacked him again. Blow after blow they fought. Amber twisted and dodged around and under the Darkblade, parrying only when necessary. She knew better than to engage him in closer combat; if she did, he could bring his superior strength and weight into play. She was trying to tire him out, to lull him into making a mistake she could use to end this duel.

Riku, too, was playing a waiting game. He saw the spear she held bend and chip under every blow it took, and knew it was only a matter of time until the thin shaft broke. Indeed, the spear snapped in half when she parried a side blow, leaving her with two useless pieces of wood. Smiling in triumph, he brought his blade down in an overhand chop.

Resistance met him halfway. Amber blocked, muscles trembling from the effort of keeping his blade from moving further. Her sticks made an X between her and her attacker.

Riku leaned forward, slowly increasing the pressure on his blade. Amber shook, but held firm. Her jaw was set; she would never give up.

"Hello, Amber. It's nice to see you again." Riku spoke in low, conversational tones. Amber's own voice was distantly polite. "And you, Riku."

"Amber- what are you doing here?" He increased the pressure yet again. Amber's entire body was shaking, and his blade was inching lower and lower.

"That's actually a very good question. I don't really know the answer myself."

Riku sighed, never letting up on his blade's slow progress towards Amber's tightly braided head. "I meant on the battlefield." The razor edge was only a few inches from her face.

The shrug was evident in her voice. "I had a debt to repay, and they were short on fighters." She didn't ask him why he was attacking this town. Darkbearers did not question their fellows' methods.

Riku struggled not to care, and lost. "I wish you hadn't. I have orders to destroy everything that could be a potential threat."

Amber sighed. "Don't make me call in my blade, Riku. I don't want to scare the nice people."

The blade was a hair's breadth away from her face.

Amber didn't ask again. She _shoved_, and only Riku's quick reflexes saved him from a tumble. A flash of light momentarily blinded him, only to be eclipsed by a bloom of darkness. When his vision cleared, Riku saw Amber balancing comfortably on the balls of her feet. Her right hand held a black sword, shaped like a dragon's wing, and her left held a similar red blade.

He blinked. "Since when do you have two blades?"

Amber swung the red sword to eye level, inspecting its edge. "Since now, apparently." Her eyes snapped to his, and her brows furrowed. "Since when do you take orders?"

Riku answered proudly. "Since I became the general of the Heartless army."

Amber went dangerously cool. "And I suppose you also gained the power to summon them."

Whatever he had been expecting, this was not it. The sudden chill in her demeanor should have warned him, but he missed the signs. "Yes…" he said cautiously. "Look, I can-"

"Stop!" Amber cried, interrupting his half-summoned Shadow. Riku turned to her, confused. He failed to notice that she was grasping her weapons so hard her knuckles were turning white, or that she was clenching and unclenching her jaw. "What's wrong with the Heartless?"

His simple question apparently made her lose her last vestiges of self-control.

"You- you _idiot_! You imbecile! You complete and utter _moron_!" She flung her blades at the sheer cliff face. They clattered as they slid down the grey stone. "You should know better than that! I know I taught you better than that! Did you not listen to anything Artemis and I said about the Heartless?!"

"Ummm….." mumbled Riku, his mind racing.

In three strides, Amber was in front of him, gripping his shirt and lifting him so that their faces inches apart. He was on his toes now. "Listen this time, and listen closely," she growled. "Every time you summon a Heartless, a little bit of the light in your heart disappears. If you were subject to constant light, this wouldn't be a much of a problem. However, being a Darkbearer, you must protect the light in your heart at all costs, or you will be swallowed by the darkness. If you continue to summon Heartless, you will eventually run out of light. The stronger the Heartless, the more light it takes. Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal," muttered her victim.

She released her choke hold and turned away, rubbing her temples. "Although why you would even use them is beyond me. They are mindless, unnatural creatures, and incredibly destructive to the balance…"

"Who says I work for the balance?"

Amber froze.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he could take them back. But the damage was done; nothing he said now could undo it.

"I see," was all she said, but those words cut through the air like icicles, cold and sharp. She didn't look at him; instead, she walked slowly over to where her blades lay abandoned on the ground. She bent to pick them up.

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Leon had just finished off the last of the attacking Shadows. Yuffie was already watching Amber destroy the rest of the Heartless army. Leon quietly stepped to her side.

"Damn, she's good," said Yuffie admiringly.

"She's not bad," Leon admitted grudgingly. They watched in silence as Amber destroyed the last group of Heartless.

"Who's he?" queried Yuffie, noticing the silver-haired youth for the first time. He stood to one side, arms dangling by his sides.

Leon shrugged. "No idea. Maybe- Shit, he's got a blade!" Before either could draw breath to shout a warning, the youth attacked Amber, swinging his ebony blade at her unprotected side. Yuffie gasped, knowing there was no way Amber could stop the blow.

But somehow, she did stop it. And the next one. And the next. And the next. In fact, Yuffie noticed, it was like she already knew what the youth was going to do, and how to stop him. She glanced at Leon just as he glanced at her.

"It's almost like- they know each other- or something." Yuffie whispered. "It's eerie."

Leon looked back at the duel. "Eerie or not, that spear's going to break any minute now."

Right on cue, the shaft snapped. A black arc swept downward, stopping just short of its intended target.

A cross of wood held the sword at bay. It hovered for a moment, then slowly began inching downwards.

Leon and Yuffie ran towards the duelists. They drew close enough to hear quiet voices (were they talking?), Leon went to swing his Gunblade, and-

In one fluid motion, Amber shoved on the broken spear, pushing her attacker backwards and bringing the useless pieces of spear to her sides. Light erupted, blinding everyone before coalescing around her left hand. Darkness bloomed immediately after, crawling down the right shaft, stretching and condensing into a jet-black, razor-edged wing that seemed to suck the light from its surroundings. The light in her left hand dimmed enough to reveal a similar garnet blade, but it still glowed brightly.

"What the HELL!?!?!?!?!?!?"

That was Yuffie. Leon's reaction was similar, but far less vocal. He screamed it in his head instead.

The silver-haired boy scowled at Amber. "Since when do you have two blades?" he demanded. The onlookers thought in unison, (So they DO know each other!).

Amber swung the blade in her left hand up to eyelevel, looking up and down its glowing length. "Since now, apparently."

(So the black one is NORMAL?)

Fascinated, Leon _saw_ the shift in mood. Her body went from relaxed to knife-edge tense in one simple shift of balance. "Since when do you take orders?"

The pride was evident in the young man's voice as he answered, "Since I became the general of the Heartless army."

(HE'S responsible for the attacks?)

Leon could almost feel the cold anger collect in the air and define itself, focusing on the silver-haired youth.

"And I suppose you also gained the power to summon them."

The boy was confused, Yuffie could tell. Her reaction had thrown him off balance.

"Yes…" He stretched out a hand, and a pool of darkness appeared at his feet. "Look, I can-"

"Stop!" Amber looked angry now. The youth just looking even more confused. "What's wrong with the Heartless?"

"Aagh!" she screamed, pacing away from him. "You- you _idiot_! You imbecile! You complete and utter _moron_!" Twin blades clattered down the sheer cliff face. Amber spun to face the young general. "You should know better than that! I know I taught you better than that! Did you not listen to anything Artemis and I said about the Heartless?!"

(Woah- she _taught _him?)

"Umm…" the boy mumbled.

Amber swiftly crossed the distance between them. Grasping the front of his shirt, she lifted him so that his face was mere inches from hers. "Listen this time, and listen closely." Her voice was quiet, but it was heard clearly by all. "Every time you summon a Heartless, a little bit of the light in your heart disappears. If you were subject to constant light, this wouldn't be a much of a problem. However, being a Darkbearer, you must protect the light in your heart at all costs, or you will be swallowed by the darkness. If you continue to summon Heartless, you will eventually run out of light. The stronger the Heartless, the more light it takes. Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal," muttered the boy. He was obviously terrified, but trying valiantly to hide it. Leon approved.

Amber turned and paced away again, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Although why you would even use them is beyond me," she muttered. "They are mindless, unnatural creatures, and incredibly destructive to the balance…"

(What's the balance?)

"Who says I work for the balance?"

(Huh?)

The words obviously had some meaning to Amber, for she froze. The freezing anger that had dissipated during her rant came back, stronger and far more intense.

The boy was terrified, that much was obvious. _Say something,_ urged Leon and Yuffie silently. _Apologize, grovel, just DO something!_ Wait a second! Why were they cheering for the other team?

Because the boy looked so terrified, they just had to feel sorry for him.

But a moment passed, then two, and still he said nothing. The audience waited with baited breath.

Nothing. The tension was growing thicker by the millisecond.

Then-

"I see." Her voice lashed through the air like a whip, and its target flinched. A black blade materialized in his hands.

(When did that disappear?)

Amber walked to her discarded blades and bent to pick them up. Icy blue eyes looked at her apparently unprotected back, then his blade, then at her back again. Yuffie drew breath to shout warning as the blade swung down again.

But Amber wasn't there anymore. She appeared again behind her former pupil and attacked _his_ back. He spun around, impossibly fast, and blocked her. Her blades quickly pulled away from his, and the left sword feinted a stab while the right swung in for a side cut. The youth jumped back to avoid the stab and knocked her swing away like he would a gnat. She bore down on him with all the fury of a hurricane, her attacks so fast he could do nothing but try to block them. He took a step back, again and again, helpless against the furious onslaught. When his back hit rock, he knew there was nowhere else to run. Amber knew it too.

"Yield, Riku. You've nowhere to go."

Riku glared his defiance. He pressed his back against the cliff side and summoned a portal directly behind himself. Silently, he melted away into darkness.

The black swirls began to fade from the rock. Amber growled and shoved her now-empty right hand into the darkness. It shuddered, and swiftly widened into a full-sized portal.

"You're not getting away that easily," she remarked to no one in particular. She withdrew her hand from the portal and moved to step inside.

Yuffie made a noise somewhere between a choke and a gasp. Amber whipped her head around with a frown, searching for the source of the sound. Her scowl deepened slightly as her eyes lit on Leon and Yuffie. Glancing from the duo to the portal and back again, her expression change to one of resignation. She stepped away from the portal and watched it close wistfully. When the last touch of darkness had gone from the grey stone, Amber turned to face the ninja and her silent, stony counterpart. They regarded each other warily for a moment. Then Amber's shoulders relaxed, and her final weapon disappeared from her hand.

"I suppose you'd like an explanation."

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If you read this, plz review. It's nice to know that someone actually is reading it.

Everyone who reviews gets a virtual hug!


	4. Flashbacks and Explanations

Wee! Chapter Four finally up! I hate dialogue- it's so hard to get it to sound right.

Anyways, it took a lot of chocolate, but I finally lured my stalker-muse out of hiding. I locked it in a cage in my room, so I'll try to update every two weeks, but of course, now that I've said that, it's going to take me three weeks to get the next chapter up.

Normally, at this point, I would thank Flippy and Sharpie for their wonderful editing input, but they were absolutely NO help on this chapter, so I won't. Seriously, all I got was, "It's good!"

Lurv to Capt. Angel for being my first-ever reviewer!

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Riku hovered in the underwater canyon, his shark's tail slicing silently through the water. Sunlight filtered haphazardly through the waves. Below him, colorful corals swayed slowly back and forth, and tiny fish darted between the bright strands. He paid them no attention.

He readjusted his grip on his Darkblade for the fifth time in two minutes. The wait was killing him; he knew Amber wouldn't give up her prey that easily. Time stretched on, wearing at his nerves. After twenty minutes had passed, he lowered the shields around his mind just enough to feel around for another dark presence. Riku's mental probe found nothing; he lowered them further, questing still farther. Still no one. He lowered them all the way, opening his mind to everything. Amber wasn't there.

Why hadn't she followed?

She had mentioned something about someone saving her, and repaying a debt. After casting around a bit more, he vaguely recalled two shocked faces, watching them duel. Riku sighed internally. She had probably been asked for explanations. And she was always willing to give them.

Which, in a way, was good. Especially for a brand-new Darkbearer, who still didn't know what it was he carried.

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Riku knelt on the dark floor, panting, clutching his weapon with numb fingers. He had just been beaten up _again_, for the seventh? eighth? time. His muscles were starting to ache, and he had bruises like he'd never seen. Vaguely, he wondered if he'd be able to stand in the morning.

His opponent, on the other hand, looked fresher than spring rain. Her golden red hair was still perfectly tied back, and she hadn't even broken a sweat. She regarded him curiously, her head cocked to the side. Riku glared at her with unending hatred.

She spoke. "Give me your blade."

He glared back at her defiantly. "No!"

A sigh. "Boy, give me the blade, and I won't hurt you any more than I have already."

"No!"

One pathetic attempt at a parry and a blow to the head later, Riku was stretched out on his back, seeing stars in the never-ending darkness. The red-head was turning over his blade in her hands. Still looking down its length, she walked over to Riku and nudged his side with her toe.

"Let me guess. Murtagh told you to use our speed instead of your strength, because everyone else is _so_ much stronger than you." Sarcasm dripped from her tongue like water from a sponge.

"Um… Which one is he?" At least, Riku assumed it was a he. It was such an odd name.

"Dark hair, red blade," she prompted. He could vaguely recall someone giving him advice of that sort.

"Yeah, he did."

"Don't listen to him." The venom in her voice surprised Riku.

"Huh?"

She snorted. "Murtagh's an idiot; you trying to be fast and sneaky is like me attacking head-on. It's idiotic, ineffective, and suicidal. You should attack your opponent swiftly, but don't try to sneaky about it. Direct attacks have more power, and you aren't likely to land a hit if you go for stealth. Here, catch." She tossed his blade to him.

"Thanks?" said Riku hesitantly. The redhead grinned at him.

"Don't worry about it. I'll teach you more if you survive the next four fights."  
"If I _survive_?!"

Another cocky grin. "Don't worry, I'm sure you will." The smile faded slightly. "Just be careful, okay? Accidents happen. Make sure they don't happen to you."

She turned to disappear, just like all his other opponents had. Later, Riku would realize that they were using portals, and that the darkness of the portal was just obscured by the utter darkness of his surroundings, but right then it seemed magical.

"Wait!" Riku shouted. She turned to him expectantly. He faltered. "Who are you?"

"Name's Amber." She grinned at him one more time, then disappeared.

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Riku laid on the ground yet again, muscles quivering. He had been completely pulverized by the sandy-haired man who currently held his plain silver blade to Riku's throat. His foot pressed Riku's chest to the ground, making it hard to breathe, and he wondered if the man would kill him. Amber's words echoed through his head.

_Accidents happen._

Then the pressure on his chest lifted up, and he blinked the find the same cold face that had been attacking him only a few minutes before split by a wide, friendly smile. His hand was extended towards Riku.

"Congratulations. You pass."

Riku sat up with a groan. "I… pass? Pass what?"

The man still had his hand extended. "Your initiation. Do you need help getting up?"

Riku stared at the hand, then shook his head slowly. With a groan, he pushed himself up off the floor. He staggered to his feet, the man rushing to steady him.

"Careful. It's quite a beating you got."

He shook his head again. "How did I pass? I lost every fight."

The blonde wasn't even paying attention. "Amber? A little help?"

Amber approached out of the darkness from Riku's left. "I've got him, Cadvan." She hooked Riku's arm over her shoulder. Cadvan let go and took a step back.

"Not bad. Some bruises, a few strained muscles… he didn't even break anything." He placed his hands Riku's chest. "Heal."

Darkness spread in gentle lines from where his hands rested. Riku could actually feel his aches ease as the tendrils spread across his body, targeting the worst bruises. Most of them disappeared quickly, and his legs strengthened to the point where he could stand without help. Riku took a hesitant step. His body functioned like he had just finished a sparring match with Sora, not like he had just been pulverized twelve times. He turned and stared at Cadvan in awe.

"How did you do that?" he asked in wonder. Cadvan shrugged uncomfortably.

"It's just a healing spell. You'll learn it, too."

Amber laughed. "Quit with the hero worship, boy. You're making him uncomfortable; he's far too modest for that sort of thing."

Something like a blush passed over Cadvan's face. "Amber!" he protested.

She laughed again. "I've got it from here, Cadvan."

He hesitated. "Are you sure? You know what it entails…"

"I'm sure." She turned to Riku. "Okay, introductions first. I'm Amber- you should know that already- and that's Cadvan. He's our leader, sort of, so be respectful, but don't worry about protocol or anything. We're very relaxed in here."

Riku looked around at his dark surroundings, unable to distinguish any features in the utter blackness they stood in. "Where is here, exactly?"

She waved a negligent hand at him. "That comes later. Come meet everyone else!"

"Amber, if you keep dragging him everywhere, you really are going to kill him," drawled a lazy voice from behind them. Riku started around. Everyone was so quiet here!

Hazel eyes met his with amusement. Tucking an auburn curl behind her ear, she extended a delicate hand for Riku to shake. He took it dazedly.

"I'm Holly Blue, Blue for short. You are?"

"Riku," he managed to get out. The (day? night? It was hard to here) was starting to catch up to him. His mind was starting to cloud, and he could barely keep his eyes open. Blue looked at him with a wry smile.

"You'd better get him home soon, Amber. He's about to fall over."

Amber pouted. "Aw, I wanted to introduce him to everybody! Okay, we'll make this quick. Say good-bye to Blue, Riku."

He waved.

Taking his arm, Amber led him in a random direction. After two steps, a raven-haired boy seated at an oak desk appeared, poring over a dusty tome. "That's Artemis. He's our research specialist." Artemis glanced up, nodded in greeting, and went straight back to his book.

Another step, and they were staring at a giant rat in a suit and bowler hat. Riku just stared, too tired to be astonished. "That's Professor Ratigan. He likes to invent things," Amber remarked to Riku. Raising her voice, she called, "Hello, Professor!"

He looked up from the device he was tinkering with and smiled- or at least, Riku thought he smiled, it was hard to tell on a rat- and said in a cultured voice, "Why, hello, Amber! This is our newest addition?"

"Yep! Riku."

Ratigan nodded politely in Riku's direction. "Pleasure to meet you." They took another step and the rat was gone.

"Isn't that the rat that went berserk on me?" Riku asked tiredly.

"Shh!" Amber shushed him and glanced about furtively. Assured that no one else was in their portion of darkness, she said quietly, "Don't call him that. He hates it. Just call him Professor."

Step by step, Riku was introduced to the rest of the organization.

Dairine was a dark-haired girl with a silver _thing_ that followed her around.

Fang was a boy about his age, dark and silent.

Nico was just a kid, but Riku reminded himself that Nico had been the first to kick his butt.

Tally had black tattoos down the sides of her face.

Murtagh's hair fell across his eyes, making it hard to tell what he was thinking.

Axis was rugged and muscular.

Vidanric and Samis were both lean and wiry, like whips. Axis, Cadvan, and they were the only adults.

Riku could barely remember stumbling through the portal and into his bed.

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Riku pretended not to feel well the next morning. After his mother left for work and Sora and Kairi left for the island (but only after making sure Riku was alright), Riku swung himself out of bed and took a few cautious steps. Nothing hurt too badly- Cadvan had really worked wonders.

"Up and about, I see."

He jumped around, eyes searching wildly for the intruder. Amber was perched on the edge of the bed he had just vacated.

She cocked her head. "Not to sore, either." Riku grimaced.

"Thanks to Cadvan."

"He's nice like that," she said with a grin. "Now, I believe it's explanation time. I'll give you the rundown, then answer any questions you have. Okay with you?"

- -

"Okay," replied Yuffie.

"There are thirteen realms. Each realm has a Keyblade and a Darkblade. I carry a Darkblade."

- -

Riku lay on the floor. "Is that what I have?"

"Exactly," nodded Amber.

- -

"The Darkblade means that I have control over all the darkness in my realm, while the Keybearer controls all the light in his realm."

"There are roughly thirteen worlds in each realm, but that number can change."

- -

"Dairine, for example, is in charge of all non-organic, sentient life, so some people have a few more worlds than normal."

"What does that mean?"

Amber shrugged. "I have no idea; it's something I heard Artemis say. I did visit one of the worlds, though, and it was filled with robots, so I think it's artificial life or something."

- -

"Generally, the more worlds a Darkbearer has responsibility for, the more powerful he is, because he has more darkness to draw power from. However, his power is severely limited by the power of his will and the amount of light in his heart. As he channels the power of darkness uninhibited through his body, it wears away at the light in his heart. If he is not strong enough to prevent this, eventually his heart will disappear completely and he will be swallowed by the darkness."

- -

She bowed her head. "It's hard, though. The more power he uses, the stronger his will must be."

Riku regarded her curiously, but did not interrupt.

- -

"Darkbearers are chosen for the amount of darkness their hearts can handle, the best combination of light and strength of will. Keybearers, on the other hand, are chosen for the amount of light in their hearts and how big their hearts can expand to be."

"Any questions?"

- -

"Yeah. Where were we yesterday?"

Amber stretched out on the bed. "Ah. That was the world of darkness. It's made completely of darkness, no light involved. There's a world made completely of light, too, but we can't go there. Too much direct light is bad for us, but nothing but pure, continuous light…" She shuddered. "That's hell."

Riku said nothing as he absently bit his lower lip, lost in thought.

- -

"One," said Leon, just as Yuffie said, "A couple." The male motioned for Yuffie to continue.

"You mentioned an Evan before, and something about the Keyblade. Is he the Keybearer for your realm?"

Amber smiled and nodded. "And my betrothed."

Leon raised a solitary eyebrow. "Isn't that a conflict of interests?"

"The Keybearer and the Darkbearer are supposed to work together to achieve balance in the worlds. We work best as a team, because we cover each other's weaknesses and lend the other strength."

"Ah," was all the brunette had to say in response. She cocked her head at him.

"Didn't you have a question?"

He brooded silently for a moment. "You said you hold a Darkblade, but during the attack, you had two weapons- and one looked like a Keyblade. How?"

Amber frowned. "I'm not sure…" She trailed off. Her brow furrowed, and she suddenly raised her hand. With a flash of light, the red blade appeared in her hand.

Golden eyes widen in shock. "No…" she murmured. "No, no, Evan, NO!" She hurled the blade at the blank white wall in front of her with a scream. It hung, quivering, in the wall for only a moment before dissolving into light and reappearing in her hand. Amber wrapped numb fingers around the hilt. She stared blankly at it, then looked at Leon and Yuffie.

"We were to be married, come spring," came a hollow whisper. "As soon as that stupid war was over, we were going to be married beneath the cherry blossoms, and there were going to be dances and feasts and-" She choked up. Turning her face to side, she finished, "But I guess that doesn't matter, now."

A single tear escaped her eye, slid down the bridge of her nose, hesitated on the tip, and finally fell, where it was lost in a sea of blankets.

"He's gone."

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Next chapter is dedicated to the person who can tell me the stories I'm pulling my Darkbearers from!

Read and review, please! My second reviewer gets a virtual hug!


	5. So Not My Day

Wow, this took way longer than I expected. It was unexpectedly hard to put it down on paper. Or computer, in this case. Anyways, I have no one to thank this time because no one reviewed! I'll take anything, seriously- criticisms, flames, anything! i particularly welcome criticism, cause personally, i think i suck, and i'd like to improve. Pretty plz?

Enjoy the chapter!

--

_Her breath condensed into small puffs in the cold, still mountain air. Below her, the dying embers of the village fire glowed faintly, contrasting with the bright twinkle of the stars above. Amber detected the faint tread of footsteps long before they reached her stony outcrop, but she didn't bother turning around. Only two people knew where she was, and one was asleep in the village at her feet._

"_You're brooding again," Evan accused softly._

"_Am not," she replied automatically, but there was no force behind her words. She stared absently at the stars, lost in thought._

"_Are too."_

"_Am not."_

"_Then what are you doing?"_

_She sighed. "Just… thinking."_

_Warm, strong arms wrapped around her from behind. "About what?"_

"_The battle."_

_He laughed quietly, his muscular chest bouncing against her slender frame. "Why?" he asked. "We won. They won't attack again for some time. Why aren't you celebrating?" He gestured to the village at their feet. "They certainly did."_

_She shook her head slowly. "Today… I almost lost control again. I could feel it." She turned in his arms to face him. "What if I do lose control? I- I'd kill everyone. And they wouldn't be able to stop me." Burying her face in his chest, she continued, "But I can't stop using the darkness- it's been the deciding factor in too many battles. So it's either lose the war, and everyone in the village, or lose my soul, and everyone in the village. I just- can't-"_

_He stroked her hair soothingly, and she quieted, recognizing the distant look in his eyes. His mind was already leagues away, analyzing the problem and possible solutions in an abstract, unemotional way. She had depended on his ability many times before, and she had no problem doing so now, relaxing into his warm embrace._

"_It's just after the light, right?" Evan whispered suddenly next to her ear. She nodded, and felt his answering shrug. "It's simple, then. Just put it where the darkness can't get to it."_

_One long, silent moment stretched out before Amber started cracking up, a wild, slightly hysterical laugh. "Just- just-" she spluttered, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "Where the darkness can't get it. And where, dearest, am I supposed to find such a place?"_

_He shrugged again, mildly perturbed by her laughter. "Simply a suggestion."_

_Almost against her will, her mind began to turn his idea over, probing and seeking. A thought occurred to her._

"_The realm of Light-" But he was already shaking his head._

"_You would be killed."_

"_That´s an option," she muttered, but he pretended not to hear her. She continued to mull it over._

"_What about- no, too dangerous."_

_She could almost hear him raising his eyebrow. Her personal safety had never been high on her list of priorities. "For who?"_

"_You," she admitted. "I'm not going to risk losing you if it doesn't work."_

"_You want to put it in my heart." He could guess her thoughts far too easily for comfort."That's a good idea, actually."_

"_What?" asked Amber, a little startled. "But-"_

_He interrupted her. "You'd have to take the darkness out of it first, and find somewhere to put that, but it'd be fairly simple to do." He nuzzled the top of her head and continued, "And I can think of nowhere I'd rather have you put your heart."_

"_Put your darkness in my heart," she suggested. "If there's no light there, it loses a lot of its power."_

"_Alright," he whispered. His mouth was right next to her ear, raising light goosebumps on her arms. Warm lips pressed lightly to the curve of her ear._

Blankets pushed back, sheets crumpled. Amber sat on the window seat in the upper bedroom of Merlin's house, desperately fighting back tears. The walls were thin here, as she could hear Merlin's whispering snores in the next room, and she didn't want anyone to hear her cry.

_Tears are weak,_ she reminded herself, fighting the burning behind her eyes. _I have to be strong._

She didn't really want to go home- everything there would remind her of him- but staying here wasn't helping much. Especially not if she was dreaming of _that_ night.

Tears threatened to overwhelm her again. She shook her head angrily to be rid of them.

_Crying won't bring him back,_ she thought fiercely. Gradually the waters receded.

Amber summoned a portal in the middle of the room, but paused. She looked at the bed for a moment, then placed the pillow back on it and pulled the covers up. Bed made to her satisfaction, she walked through the portal into the world of darkness.

Warm, comforting nothingness enveloped her. There was no light, no substance, but she walked confidently through the darkness as if there was a firm floor beneath her feet. Riku's realm was right next to hers, so a few more steps and-

Amber ran into something that was hard, invisible, and definitely _not_ supposed to be there.

Frowning, she ran peered at it, her sharp eyes picking out the faintly glimmering runes of a binding spell. "Dairine," she said softly, willing the girl to hear her quiet summons. A young teenager appeared next to her shortly.

"Yes?" Dairine queried, somewhat impatiently. She needed to finish her math homework.

"What's your opinion on this?" Amber tapped the rock-solid wall beside her. Dairine peered at it, frowning.

"Hmm…" she muttered, inspecting the spell strands. "Spot? I need an analysis."

The small silver laptop scuttled out from behind her leg. Six spindly legs carried to the barrier, and one eye examined it while the other stalk watched Dairine and Amber. The eye retracted and focused on its mistress.

"Analysis complete."

The girl plopped herself down in front of the computer and popped up the screen. "Results?"

"Object is a solid, multi-layer matter repellant, formed from energy released from living beings. It extends along the political border of Amber's realm. Probability of multiple casters: 90."

Amber stared at Dairine, thoroughly confused. The teen chewed her lip in thought. "Probability of penetration?"

"Probability of penetration by singular Darkbearer: 7. Percentage increases by .5 per additional Darkbearer. Probability of penetration by singular Keybearer: 52. Percentage increases by 4 per additional Keybearer."

"What if the Keybearer has the power of his realm to draw on?"

"Percentage increases by 10."

She snapped the laptop shut and stood up. "Thank you, Spot." Spot ambled to its customary place behind her leg. "Did you get that?"

"You have a bad habit of making me feel stupid. I have no idea what he just said," Amber admitted ruefully. Dairine laughed.

"It's okay, I get that a lot. Basically, it's a darkness-repelling barrier that extends around your whole realm. Things can get out, but nothings gets it. Chances are it was cast by a large group of people, 'cause it has a whole bunch of layers… What's this about 'energy released from living beings?'"

Amber cursed, suddenly livid. "Damn necromancers…" she muttered. "They locked me out of my own realm!"

"Necromancers?"

The volatile red-head clenched her fist. "They kill people to get the power for their spells. They're who I'm fighting at home- they've got control of the Empire."

Dairine winced sympathetically. "Hurry and get Evan, then, 'cause one Keybearer has a better chance of breaking through than all the Darkbearers together, and all the other bearers are busy."

A sharp pain stabbed Amber in the heart at the sound of his name. There was a short, terse silence.

"Oh no," whispered the girl. "Amber, I- I'm so sorry."

"I just need to get back," rejoined Amber quietly. "I just need to get home."

Dairine collected herself and opened the laptop once more. "Your best bet is one of the Keybearers whose realm borders yours- Faraday, Mickey, or-" She stopped, reading the message on the computer screen with a frown. "Data not available? What do you mean, data not available? How do I not know Riku's Keybearer?"

"The replacement for former Keybearer Baloo has not yet been discovered."

Amber plopped down beside her, personal pain temporarily forgotten. "Baloo and Bagheera died at the same time," she murmured thoughtfully, "so he should have gotten the Keyblade about the same time Riku got his Darkblade…"

"I'll ask," said Dairine. "Maybe he's shown up and Nita just forgot to mention it to me." Turning to Spot, she said, "Put me through to Nita."

Nita's face appeared on the display. "What's up?"

"Hey, do you know who Baloo's replacement is?"

She chewed her lip in thought. "Baloo… He was the bear, right? No, we haven't had anyone new in a while."

Her sister nodded. "Thanks, Nita. I'll talk to you later."

"Make sure you get your math done!"

Dairine rolled her eyes and closed the lid. "Okay, your two options are Mickey and Faraday. Sorry to run, but I've got homework to do. Call if you need anything, okay?" She sent her one more sympathetic glance and vanished, presumably to her home. Amber stood beside the barrier for a moment, thinking. Faraday was out, as the only way she could contact her was through Axis, and he was unlikely to be helpful. That left Mickey.

"The best way to a Keybearer is through his Darkbearer," she muttered softly, then walked off through the darkness in search of Professor Ratigan.

-(line! Weeeee)-

"Please tell me you're kidding," she stated in disbelief. Ratigan shook his head.

"Sorry. All I know is that he's somewhere in Riku's realm. Something about stars going out." He shrugged. "Apparently the Keybearer isn't doing his job."

Amber rubbed her temples, sensing the impending headache. "Thank you, Professor. I'll start looking there."

"Sorry I couldn't be of more help," he called in parting.

She was already gone.

-(oo! Another one!)-

A portal opened directly into the main room of Merlin's home, only to find it completely empty.

"You have got to be kidding me," she ejaculated. Growling, she paced around the now-bare room.

"Where could he have gone this quickly?" Amber asked the blank stone walls. "It was all here this morning. It would have taken an army to move all of it that quickly." She paused in mid-stride. "An army, or… magic."

A deep breath revealed the remnants of magic that were left in the air, and a swift mental net caught them. Amber condensed the particles until she had a fist-sized ball of magic. A thick thread connected it to its caster. She ascertained his location, and, releasing the ball of power, opened a portal right next to Merlin.

"Wha-!" he started, then relaxed. "Oh, it's you again. I say, do you have something against normal modes of transportation?"

"What are you- never mind. Look, do you know where Leon is? I need to talk to him."

Amber watched with fascination as Merlin tapped his chin with his wand, turning his beard a different color each time. "Ah, yes!" he cried, stopping just as it turned a violent magenta. "He's in that empty house on the corner- Here, let me get you directions-"

After much fumbling and muttering, Merlin managed to produce a map of Traverse Town, and Amber was walking down the cobblestone streets with his directions fresh in her mind. "Right up the stairs," she said quietly, "then down the alley, into the courtyard-"

She turned the corner and bumped into a small woman in pink. "My apologies," Amber said quickly.

"It's quite alright," said the woman, shifting her overloaded basket further up her arm. A few flowers fell. Amber caught them before they hit the ground.

"You seem to have quite a load," she stated amiably. "Would you like some help?"

The brunette fluttered nervously for a moment. "Only if you're going the same way," she said softly, "I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"It is no trouble at all." Amber took the heavy basket from the woman's arm. She wanted know why it felt as if she had seen this woman before- why she felt so familiar, when she was certain she had only just bumped into her. "Which way?"

The woman turned and walked towards the courtyard. Amber followed and curiously watched the pink bow tied in her braid bob with each step she took. Familiar, so familiar-

"Aha!" she cried. "I remember now! Aeris, isn't it?"

Aerith turned, surprise running rampant across her face. "Well, I go by Aerith now, but-" her eyes narrowed as her thoughts turned suspicious. "How did you know my name?"

"You're originally from- gods, what was that place's name again?" She frowned in concentration. "It's the same place Yuffie's from-" _I knew she seemed familiar_ "And Cloud, and Cid- you were part of the group that defeated Sephiroth!"

The pink bow fluttered in her pleasure. "Why, yes!" she exclaimed delightedly.

Amber bit her lip. How was this woman here, after her part in Sephiroth's defeat?

"But how do you know us?" Aerith continued obliviously. "Our world is such a long way from this one."

"My predecessor was originally from your world," the redhead replied, suddenly uneasy. "Zack Fair. Do you know him?"

The pink woman clasped her hands to her mouth. Amber dove for several more flowers that tumbled from the basket, but their bearer took no notice of them.

"You knew Zack?" she said quietly. "You knew him?"

Amber's uneasiness deepened. "Yes," she said carefully, "He trained me a bit before passing on the Blade. I-"

Aerith grabbed her arm and dragged her up the stairs and through a large wooden door. Pink flowers were strewn in a colorful path behind them. "You have to meet Cloud," she said hurriedly, "You have to- He'll be so happy-"

Amber dug her heels into the cobblestones, effectively bringing them to a stop. "Wait," she said firmly, "I need to go see Leon first. I have my own mission here, and it is not reminiscing about old war buddies."

Aerith huffed at her and planted her hands on her hips. "_Of course _we're going to see Leon first," she said, rolling her eyes, "he's the only Cloud ever tells where he's _going_. He could be anywhere right now." She huffed again, obviously peeved.

"Perhaps we could go a bit less… wildly?" Amber suggested. "A few minutes won't make a difference either way."

Aerith nodded, somewhat shame-faced. "I just get so excited sometimes," she apologized, "Are you alright?" She hefted her basket slightly and was quickly distracted. "Oh no, my flowers!"

Amber sighed, took a hold of her elbow, and gently guided the beribboned florist through the huge wooden doors.

--

Aerith led her to a small house near the entrance to the first district. Inside, Leon was unpacking the contents of the many boxes strewn around the room. He didn't turn as they came in. "Hello, Aerith."

"Leon!" the florist trilled. "I found someone." Leon turned and raised an eyebrow.

"So you did." He stepped towards them, out of the mess of boxes. "Why are you back?"

"I can't get home," Amber replied flatly, "so I'm looking for someone who can help me. Have you seen him?" She gestured around her waist. "He's about this tall, big, round ears, goes by the name of Mickey."

"We know him," said Aerith. Her voice was surprisingly calm. "But he's not here right now."

"Then where is he?"

"We don't know," admitted Leon. "He's out helping Sora get rid of the Heartless, but as for his exact whereabouts?" He shook his head slightly. "No idea."

Amber tilted her head slightly. "Sora is…"

"Our Keybearer."

She sighed. "He'll have to do, then. Where is he?"

The door creaked open "Where is who?" A blonde man with aviator goggles stepped into the small room. It was beginning to get crowded.

"Sora," said Leon. "Cid, can you track his gummi ship?" Cid put a piece of grass in his mouth and began to chew.

"Sure," he began, "but I'll have to install a new gummi. Give me an hour or so." He wandered out.

Aerith raised her voice slightly. "Leon, what about Cloud?" He shifted uncomfortably.

"What about Cloud?"

She sighed impatiently. "Where is he?"

He avoided her eyes and muttered, "I don't know."

Glaring at him, she waited. Amber raised an eyebrow.

He finally caved. "He's training at the Coliseum. Don't bother him right now. He needs to be alone right now."

Aerith fluttered in mixed pleasure and annoyance. "Leon, you silly, nobody ever _needs_ to be alone. When they say that, that's when they need someone around the most." Leon glared at her.

"Aerith-" he started dangerously, but Amber cut in.

"Perhaps it would be best to leave him alone for now. I don't know him, but if Zack trained him, I don't wish to tangle with him when he's angry. He'll come back when he's ready, I'm sure."

Leon met her eyes, showing his gratitude. She dipped her chin slightly in acknowledgement.

"Aerith, would you show me this 'gummy' thing?" she continued blithely, and received a brilliant smile.

"Of course."

Leon looked at the boxes littering the small room. "I'll finish unpacking."

Amber and Aerith moved slowly from the room, each contemplating her own thoughts. The silence stretched longer as they moved towards Cid's Gummi Garage. Loud cursing could be heard as the rounded the corner.

"Cid has a bit of a foul mouth," Aerith said apologetically. Amber shrugged.

"I'm around soldiers all day, every day," she said with a slightly wry grin. "I'm used to it by now."

Inside the garage, Amber stopped to stare. Before her was a large, brightly-colored box, vaguely shaped like a bird. The nose was blunt, the wings no wider than the body, and it all seemed to be made of an eye-searing yellow or red. Three tubes protruded from the rear end; she couldn't imagine their purpose. It certainly _looked_ impressive.

It also looked incredibly awkward.

She groaned. "I'm going to have to use that thing to follow him, aren't I?"

Cid slid out from underneath the ship. "Yep. Just finished installing it now, so you're good to go."

Amber felt like banging her head against a wall. "Today is _so_ not my day," she muttered under her breath. Aerith looked at her with concern.

"Are you alright?"

Amber's breathing stuttered; after a moment, Aerith realized she was laughing.

"I'm fine." She stepped forward to look into the cockpit of the ship. Dozens of buttons and at least three screens glittered back at her. She turned her head to look at Cid and Aerith.

"So how do I work this thing?" she asked.

--

And the plot thickens! Actually, the plot begins to poke its measly little nose around the corner. What d'ya think?

Review, plz! W/ sugar on top!


	6. Oh, It's You Again

Aaaaand... Chapter six! Chapter seven is in the works already. Yays!

AS always, any kind of review is welcome. Much thanks to Val-chan for pointing out logic/plot holes for me! Enjoy!

* * *

Empty bleachers hemmed in the dusty arena. The air was perfectly still and stiflingly hot; sweat ran in streams down the sides of Sora's face. He swung his Keyblade at the last Red Mage and it broke into pieces before fading from view.

"Are we done?" quacked Donald. Sora straightened but didn't turn around.

"I think we have one more fight left." The iron gate rattled open. Black boots stepped onto the tightly packed dirt, followed by a tattered red cloak that swirled gently around its wearer. Sora caught a glimpse of golden hair spiked even more wildly than his own before his attention focused on the huge sword slung casually over a shoulder. Both dropped into a fighter's crouch, and the match began.

- - - -

"What do you mean, 'vanished'?" Amber asked for what seemed like the tenth time. "How?"

Tarzan the ape-man, as she had mentally dubbed him, tapped on the vine-covered rock again. "Sora and friend-food come to rock. Sora point spear at rock. Bright light from spear, then-" he made an exploding motion with his hands "-bright light everywhere. Could not see! Then light go away, and Sora and friend-food gone."

Amber passed a hand over her eyes.

Language wasn't usually a barrier for her, but Tarzan spoke an odd combination of ape and human that was difficult to decipher. This in addition to the fact that he himself didn't actually know what had happened had Amber ready to beat her head on the rock.

"Hello there!" a feminine voice called. A bright-eyed woman in a slightly tattered yellow dress pushed aside the moss and vines that covered the cave mouth.

If it hadn't been rude, Amber would have shouted, "Thank the gods!" Instead, she settled for a relieved sigh. "Hello," she replied politely. The ape-man straightened eagerly, looking for all the world like a puppy begging for treats.

"Jane!" he shouted.

'Jane' put her hands on her hips and scowled kindly at him. "Tarzan, where have you been?" she demanded. "I've been looking for you all over!"

"He's been helping me," Amber interrupted smoothly, "but we seem to have gotten stuck. I'm looking for-"

"Sora!" he shouted helpfully.

Jane shook her head. "He was here, but he left a while ago. Say, if you see him, can you tell him we said hello? He's been ever so helpful."

"I'll be sure to do so," Amber promised. "Do you know which way he went, though? I've been asking Tarzan, but…" She gestured futily.

Jane nodded. "It's alright. Most people find him difficult to understand."

"And Sora?" Amber prompted.

"Sora vanished when he sealed the Keyhole."

"The Keyhole?" What was this Keyhole? And why had she not heard of it?

Jane pointed to a shape in the vines. Sure enough, the tendrils wove around a bare space in the rock. Amber had previously assumed it to be natural, but now she saw that it was too neat, the edges too precise.

"It's supposed to be the door to the heart of the world," Jane told her as she inspected it. "The Heartless were tying to get it, so Sora sealed it again."

"I see," Amber said slowly. "And you don't know where he was going after that?"

Jane shook her head again. "I'm terribly sorry I can't be of help."

Amber turned suddenly and flashed her a bright, sunny smile. "It's alright," she said. "Thank you." And she swept out of the cave.

- - - -

"Look out!"

Sora dodged sideways to avoid the eruption of darkness. A second pillar appeared where he had just been standing, and a third came up behind him so fast he almost fell into it. Donald quacked a spell, causing ice crystals to gather around the one set of eyes still open on the three-headed dog. It roared and shook its blinded head from side to side, its other craniums wobbling weakly beside it. Goofy got too close and was sent flying into the bleachers.

"Goofy!" yelled Sora.

He sat up. "I'm fi-"

Sora was knocked off his feet by a black explosion. He landed heavily on his back, and massive footfalls quickly drew closer. Another explosion tossed sand in his eyes; he could only listen for the heavy breathing of the huge dog as he blindly threw his Keyblade.

The Keyblade struck the giant square on the temple and fell, dissolving into light before it touched the ground. Cerberus moaned, staggered, and finally fell, the impact of his massive body raising dust clouds taller than the arena.

Goofy picked his way around the slowly-dying fireballs to Sora's side. Eyes wide, he leaned over Sora's prone body. "Gawrsh, Sora, are you okay?"

Green blossoms appeared over his head and gently showered him with leaves. Donald waddled over. "He is now!"

Sora opened his eyes with a slight sigh. "Hey, guys."

Phil's shouted echoed around the courtyard. "Hey, are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come inside?"

The trio exchanged resigned glances. Sora heaved himself off the ground and they trudged as a group across the broken battlefield.

Riku waited until they entered the double doors before looking reproachfully at the flaming god beside him. "You were saying…?"

Hades nearly snarled in impatience. "Alright! The kid's stronger than I thought. Happy?"

The young Darkbearer shrugged, his silver hair shielding his eyes. _He beat Cloud _and_ Cerberus,_ he thought. _He's much stronger than he was on the island… I'm not entirely sure I can beat him at this point._ He pushed the thought away as Maleficent appeared in a swirl of darkness. "Come," she ordered imperiously. Riku gritted his teeth, but obeyed.

_I can't wait until I'm rid of this hag._

- - - -

The little world on the ship's monitor looked like a really, really ugly hat, Amber decided. The world itself was the head, and the thing sticking out was just a triangular cap on a really spiky hairdo. She continued to stare it, purposefully ignoring the little name flashing just below the image.

_Just do it,_ she told herself. _Get in, ask for Sora, get out. You can avoid Cloud. How hard can it be?_

She didn't want to meet him. She didn't want to meet anyone that would remind her of Zack because, inevitably, the subject of his death would come up, and so would the guilt.

_It's not my fault, it's not my fault, it's not my fault…_ she repeated.

Her inner self remained unconvinced.

_Shut up!_ she thought furiously. _I didn't ask you. Now go away._

It retreated, but its presence was still there, in the deepest recesses of her mind. She massaged the bridge of her nose.

_This is the _last_ thing I need right now…_

A short moment later, Amber was standing on the gummi port just inside the gate. A short goat-man was arguing furiously with a well-muscled young man.

"You can't pair them up, they'll destroy the stadium!" shouted the man in the leather skirt. The faun pointed a hairy forearm at him.

"Someone's gotta fight him, and Sephiroth's the only one available! He's beaten the crap out of everyone else!"

Amber felt a shiver run down her spine at the mention of Sephiroth. When he'd been sane, he'd been a ruthless and powerful warrior. Now, he was best termed psychopathic.

The young man drew himself up. "Then I'll fight him!" Scowling, the faun shook his head vigorously. "Out of the question! What if Cerberus attacks again, huh? We gotta have someone fresh, just in case!"

"If they fight, there's not going to be a stadium to attack!"

The faun opened his mouth to shout back, but caught sight of Amber and swallowed his words. "Wadda you want?" he asked curtly.

She settled her weight on one leg and crossed her arms. "Information," she replied just as shortly. "I'm looking for a kid, goes by the name of Sora. Spiky brown hair, bright blue eyes, real cheery." Leon had given her a basic description of him. "May have been involved in any recent fighting. You seen him?"

The goat-man mimicked her position, crossing his arms over his hairy chest. "Watcha willin' to pay?" Amber relaxed slightly; this was familiar, the exchange of information for service.

"What do you need?"

"Can you fight?"

"Phil!" cried the young man.

"Shut up, Herc. Can you?"

Amber nodded calmly, and Phil rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Perfect. Tell you what, fight a match and I'll give you the info you want, plus an unlimited pass to the arena. Waddaya say?"

"Not against Sephiroth." There was no way she was going up against him in an arena full of people.

"Not Sephiroth," Phil agreed.

She thought it over, then shrugged. Phil cackled. "What's your name, kid?"

"Amber."

He scribbled her name into a blank space on the chalkboard behind him. Curious, she followed the lines connected to her space and read… Cloud Strife. She almost groaned aloud. So much for avoiding him.

Phil grabbed a ring of keys from a nail on the door. Muttering, he fished through them for a moment before grabbing one and tossing it to her. She caught it and blinked at it in surprise.

"For your room. Get some rest, you're gonna need it."

Great. Just great. The trail would be cold by the time she found it again.

"Rooms are over there, training arenas over there, mess through this door here. You make a mess, you clean it up, we clear?"

She nodded unenthusiastically. As she trudged wearily in the direction of her assigned room, she heard Herc say, "Are you sure that's a good idea? He's strong- she might get killed."

_He'll learn,_ she thought resignedly. _They all do._

_And if not, we'll just have to teach him, won't we?_ inquired a snide voice. Amber shook her head roughly.

- - - -

Riku walked slowly through the halls of Hollow Bastion, alone except for the bright-eyed Shadow trailing just behind him. Oh, Maleficent had said it was so he could contact her quickly, but he knew it was so she could spy on him. Stupid hag. Even at her most overbearing, Amber had never-

He quickly slammed a door on that train of thought. That part of his training was over now. She had given him the basics, but she was too careful when it came to the more powerful techniques- so he had gone elsewhere, to someone who was willing to teach him all the supposedly "dangerous" things he wanted to know. But he learned them, all those "forbidden" techniques, and Maleficent would teach him to shape-shift next. And once she had nothing left to teach him, he would kill her.

It was her fault, really, for everything happening. Her quest for power had destroyed the island and now, slowly, piece by piece, his old life was falling apart. Sora was strong, maybe even stronger than himself- but Riku had always won the sword fights on the island. His goofy grin was still there, but it was hidden now, underneath layers of responsibility and near-constant fighting. Even Kairi was gone, her stubborn spirit somewhere beyond her body. Nothing was the same anymore. And it was all her fault.

Riku paused before a window and glared at the dark ship moored in thin air.

Nothing was the same. Nothing could ever be the same.

He turned away.

- - - -

_Dark bodies piled everywhere. Mangled corpses lay strewn beneath the midday sun like a child's discarded toys. Flies buzzed around wounds and bloated torsos, crawling in and out of every orifice they could find. Eyes, wide in death, staring into what no mortal can see, above gaping mouths that screamed their pain and terror. Some heads had no bodies; some bodies had no arms. Each and every one was killed by a skillful sword stroke, cleaving some in half, beheading some, occasionally a quick and merciful thrust to the heart._

_None of them mattered. Amber ran towards the only person that did, the one slumped beside the huge sword lying on the ground. Lifeless hands seemed to grab at her ankles, slowing her down. Some fool's head tripped her; she fell heavily among the bloody corpses. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the dried blood that clung to her hair and the fresh that dripped along her skin. Dashing through the last of the bodies, she laid eyes on her goal. Horrified, she sank to her knees beside his prone body. A bloody hand reached up-_

Amber reached the chamber pot in time to be quietly but thoroughly sick.

After rinsing her mouth, she opened the window and let the cool breeze wash over her face. Standing there, in a tiny room dimly lit by a sliver of moon, the dream– and its corresponding reality- seemed far away. Gently, she lowered herself to the ground beneath the window and rested her head on her knees. Why, of all times, did that particular memory have to resurface _now-_

But she knew why. It was _him_, Cloud Strife,

_-leave the sword. _

_For who?_

_For Cloud-_

that was bringing this up. And she thought it was just the castle that screwed her up. This entire realm played games with her sanity! She thunked her head very gently against the wall once, twice.

Dawn found her in the same position.

She was in the arena at the appointed time, nothing but a slight deepening of the shadows beneath her eyes to betray her sleepless night. As the challenger, she was there first, giving the bookies in the crowd time to size her up and offer odds. Indeed, the bookie joints were going in full swing, shouting men pushing money and tickets at the harassed clerks, but the rest of the audience quieted as they got a good look at who would be fighting the reigning champion.

All at once the murmurs started, shocked whispers and worried tones setting Amber's nerves on end. She gritted her teeth and forcefully ignored them.

"-so little-" "Is she really going to fight?" "-tear her to pieces-" "-not much older than my daughter-" "-don't see how that _protects_ anything-"

She had to grin a bit at that last one. Her armor was scant and protected only the vital areas, so it covered very little in terms of modesty as well. She wore a loincloth, which was cover enough in her world, but conventions differed everywhere. There was always someone who found her armor ridiculously immodest.

Of course, it was, but few got into a huff about it. Seeing it in action tended to make people shut their mouths.

The iron gate rattled up. At long last, Zack's prodigy stepped into view.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Olympic Coliseum!" Phil shouted from his platform on the wall. "To ensure continued entertainment, please remember to include our patron Zeus in your evening sacrifice tonight."

"Allow me to introduce today's combatants! On the Northern end we have Cloud Strife! the reigning champion, standing more than five and a half feet tall and bringing his giGANtic sword! Today's challenger stands in the Southern end, with five foot five inches of pure speed and a RIDICULOUS amount of steel!"

Amber gritted her teeth. Part of her backup was a number of hidden –and normally secret - blades. Phil had just removed that backup.

Cloud scoffed quietly, then turned the corners of his mouth up when she glared at him. "Either Phil's exaggerating, or you've got some knives hidden somewhere. Which one is it?"

She shrugged wryly. "If I say he's exaggerating, will you believe me?"

Shaking his head slightly, Cloud said, "Listen- all these people want is a show. Let's give them a show, and we can have a serious fight later." At Amber's cautious nod, he said, "You're the challenger- you attack first."

There was no time for further discussion. A whistle blew from Phil's platform, and all conversation ceased. Amber twirled her blades and dropped into a fighter's crouch as Cloud followed suit. For a long moment, nothing stirred.

In a swift movement, Amber crossed the gap between them and brought her right sword to bear. It met the Buster sword in a brief shower of sparks before she pulled away to dodge the counterattack.

It became painfully clear after a few moves – to them at least - that either could have ended the fight in a few seconds. The audience wasn't quite so perceptive, judging by the shouts of excitement. Instead, they continued their deadly dance, Cloud's sword flashing brightly, Amber's a dark blur.

Cloud drew first blood. She misjudged the speed of Cloud's swing, and the tip grazed a streak across her abdomen. Amber jumped back out of range and brought a hand up to heal herself, but Cloud's quiet voice stopped her. "First blood- don't heal until you're injured more." He got a slight nod in response.

Zack had obviously trained him. It was in everything, from the way he spoke to the way he handled his sword. Fortunately, she had trained under Zack, too, and she knew his main weaknesses. It was time to step up her game.

She attacked again, this time keeping close watch on his sword. As soon as he moved into a vertical block, she planted her hands on the flat portion near the hilt and used it to flip herself over his head. He spun wildly and swept his sword at her head. She moved her blades as if to block, but let loose her grip as soon as they made contact. She ducked under his wild swing and drew the knife on her hip. Her swords clattered to the ground as she placed the tip of the knife at his throat.

No one moved. Cloud looked at her intently, and she met his gaze just as steadily.

"Alright!" The silence was broken by a loud whoop from the stands. A man jumped to his feet and nearly ran to the betting stands. A small crowd followed close on his heels, and the audience became a pushing, yelling mob.

Amber withdrew her knife and replaced it in her sheath, then healed the cut on her abdomen. She picked up her blades and looked up to see Cloud studying her curiously.

"You've fought the Buster before." It was not a question.

She cocked her head innocently. "The what?"

"Don't play dumb," he said flatly. "You know the exact strengths and weaknesses of my sword. How?"

"It just seemed to me that a sword that big can't be easy to control," she told him with a shrug. "Broadswords are difficult, too, and they're not half as large."

He slung the Buster to the ground and leaned on it. "Zack," he said finally. It took all her self-control not to flinch at his name.

"Who?" she queried quickly, but he must have caught something in her voice, for his voice was more sure when he spoke again. He leaned forward, and she stepped back. Her back hit the cool stone of the monolith.

"You've fought Zack. Many times, judging from your performance. How did you know him?"

Amber shook her head mutely, struggling to keep the image of a bloody battlefield from rising before her eyes. She closed them momentarily. When she opened them again, Cloud was much closer then before. She shrank back slightly into the stone, her eyes darting around like cornered animal. Trapped.

"How did you know him?" he asked quietly, but there was a dangerous note to his voice now. It struck a violent chord; her panic turned to rage. She straightened and bared her teeth in a silent growl, gesturing with her sword.

"Back up, unless you want a rematch," Amber snarled. A familiar red light shone on the edges of her vision. Something vicious filled her voice.

Cloud glanced around the now-empty stadium. Amber caught his look and laughed mockingly. "What's the matter?" she taunted. "Afraid of a little girl like me?"

Shifting his grip on his sword, Cloud replied evenly, "Just making sure no one else gets hurt." She grinned ferociously and, without warning, attacked.

He just barely managed to block her and staggered back half a step. Sweet Shiva, but she was _strong_! Had she been holding back before?

The next few moments proved she had. Each attack forced him another half-step backward, and she moved so quickly that it was almost impossible to find an opening. Finally, Cloud managed to meet her both her swords in a block and shoved them away as hard as he could. It only knocked her back a step, but he took advantage of the half-second's pause and leapt backwards, covering almost half the stadium. Amber looked across the dusty ground at him with contempt. "Running away already? I've barely broken a sweat." The manic grin was still on her face.

The blonde ignored her as he powered himself into his enhanced state. A black wing erupted from his back, and energy crackled over his skin in waves of blue lightning.

Amber cackled. "Pretty," she crooned. "Does it do anything?"

Cloud flew at her silently, his sword at the ready. She leapt easily over his swing and grazed his back with her fingers. He turned to see her land gracefully on her feet. Dark energy crackled around her fingers.

"_Very_ pretty," she said. "I think I like it." He swung around and attacked again, but she avoided his sword with annoying ease. His energy trickled into a ball in the center of her palm, and a black skin grew around it. She dodged his attack again, then slammed her ball square between his shoulders. A shudder racked his frame, but he gritted his teeth and pushed himself into one final attack.

This time, instead of jumping, she blocked his swing just long enough to slow him down. As he struggled to quickly get out of her range, she released him and ducked. Cloud flew over her, but he was too slow- she'd had enough time to gather an attack. He spun rapidly enough to see her raise her hand, but he couldn't stop its sparking load from slamming into his chest. He crashed into the stone bleachers. The slab of marble split under the force of his impact, and Cloud felt his wing and his energy fade away as he slid to the ground. Half-lidded eyes watched Amber's approaching footsteps warily before he slipped into oblivion.

Amber grinned as she walked up to the now-prone Cloud. Her smile faded slightly when she saw his hand was still wrapped around the hilt of the Buster. _So much like him,_ she thought sadly.

Unbidden, the image rose to her mind.

_-dried blood mixed with fresh covered the hand she clung to. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I'm so sorry-" Dark blue eyes that glinted even as face they were set in grimaced in pain. Black spikes hung limply. "Don't be," he said roughly. He raised his free hand-_

Her steps faltered. Somewhere else in the compound, shouts of alarm echoed, but she paid them no attention.

_-Leave the sword for him," Zack rasped. Amber looked at him through tear-fogged eyes._

"_For who?" she asked quietly. He smiled, then gasped as another wave of pain took him._

"_For Cloud," he whispered, then threw his head back and groaned. Panting, he raised it and continued, "He'll need it." She nodded and stood to pick up the Buster. Watching Zack closely, she swung it into the ground near his side._

"_Thank… you…" he coughed. Amber watched as he shook with another wave of pain._

"_Are you sure you want this?" she said in a broken voice. He nodded. Her grip on her Blade tightened slightly._

_He gave her a smile and an approving nod. Amber focused on his grin and raised her blade. It swept down in a black arc-_

Amber gasped and stumbled back, shaking her head to clear the bloody fog clouding her mind. Now she was aware of the shouts resounding through the halls of the Coliseum. Frantic, she placed a darkened hand on Cloud's shoulder. The darkness spread in a healing layer over his body, then retreated into her hand once more. Amber shook him briskly, and Cloud awoke with a start.

"Listen to me," she hissed. "This never happened, we only fought in front of the crowd, and neither of us knows how this hole appeared, agreed?" He nodded. "Good. Now get out, quickly. They're moving this way."

Cloud jumped to his feet and moved with the assurance born of routine towards a door she had not noticed before. It opened into the living area. She followed him and ducked into her assigned room just as the first person- Herc- entered the arena.

- - - -

-_shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit-_

Amber paced violently about the tiny room for a moment before throwing herself against the wall and burying her head in her arms. She groaned as she slid to the floor beside the window.

"This shouldn't be happening," she muttered, "this can't be happening. We killed you. We-"

_You of all people should know that I'll never die. I was hiding while that nasty, nasty light filled your mind, but I'll never go away forever._

The red-head stifled a sob. "No. I banished you!"

_I?_ the voice inquired snidely. _Or we?_

It was right, as always. The banishment had been a partner effort, and had taken a partner effort to sustain it. There was no way she could hold onto her sanity alone.

_So give up,_ it suggested. _Let me take over already. Why fight the inevitable?_

"These people don't deserve that."

It scoffed. _People? What is it with you and _people_? Always 'I can't kill these _people_' and 'I have to protect these _people_'. Seriously, just let me kill them all. Solve every problem you have._

"Except for the sanity part," she muttered dryly. She felt the mental shrug.

_The only way to fix that is to get rid of me, and you know there's only one way to do that._

Amber shook her head. "Can't…. Have to protect the village…" The oft-repeated mantra fell from numb lips.

_Then I guess you're screwed, aren't you?_ It sounded oddly cheerful.

A knock sounded on her door and made her jump like a frightened deer. She glared at it. "Just a moment, please."

"Go away," she muttered fiercely to herself. She felt it melt away into the shadowy recesses of her mind.

_I'm waiting._

Amber opened the door and faked a slight amount of surprise to see Herc. "What's up?" she asked innocently, leaning on the door frame. She didn't invite him in.

"There was an incident in the arena, right after your fight. Know anything about it?" he said easily. Amber widened her eyes slightly.

"No," she breathed, "what happened?"

He grimaced. "Not much, as far as we can tell. There's a huge hole in the stands, though, and Phil's furious." He gave a slight wave and turned away. "Thanks for your time."

"Herc." Amber said quietly. He turned back. "Where's Sora?"

"The duck said something on their way back to the ship- Traveler's Town or some-"

"Traverse Town?"

"That's it." He walked away, presumably to interrogate the next fighter. Amber waited until he turned the corner, then escaped to the courtyard and off-world.

Aerith and Yuffie caught her the moment she stepped into town. "Amber!" Aerith greeted her cheerily, "We were just heading to the bathhouse. Come with us?" Yuffie peered at her pleadingly.

"Sure," she shrugged. She needed to talk with them anyway. The younger girl jumped in excitement.

"Girl time!"

As they rounded a corner, Amber said softly, "Actually, could you guys do me a favor?" They looked at her curiously, but they didn't say no, so she plowed ahead. "Don't tell Cloud I knew Zack? He'd want to talk about him and I'd- I'd rather not." She forced a rough note into her voice, like she was about to cry. The sympathy was instant and total.

"Of course," Aerith gushed, "don't worry. We won't say a word, will we, Yuffie?" Yuffie shook her head enthusiastically.

"Mum's the word," she promised.

It was a pity to deceive these nice people, Amber reflected sadly as they entered the bath house, but it was necessary. At least it was true she didn't want to talk about Zack. Let them think it was from grief.

- - - -

Leon looked up to see Cloud slip through the door and nodded to him. If he didn't want to talk, Leon wasn't going to force him. He finished rinsing the last plate and hung it in the drying rack.

Cloud hung his sword on the weapons rack by the door and sat down at their small table, then deposited his bag on the floor. "Where are the girls?" he asked finally.

Leon dried his hands and hung the dishtowel up. "They went to the bathhouse," he said. "They should be back in forty-five minutes or so." Cloud nodded absently and Leon took the seat across from him. "How did the fights go?"

Cloud made a face. "I was beat last round. Some girl, showed up out of nowhere." He scowled at the table, and Leon raised an eyebrow at him.

"Something wrong?"

Cloud shook his head. "She disappeared again right after the fight. Normally I'd say she just showed up to fight me, but she acted like fighting me was something she _had_ to do, not something she wanted to. It's strange."

Leon shrugged. "Do you know who she was?"

Cloud shook his head again. "Tiny little thing, bit shorter than me, red hair, wicked fast. I forgot her name." He shrugged.

- - - -

The girls clambered into the steaming water and sighed blissfully. A peaceful silence descended upon the group as they sank until only their faces were showing.

The quiet only lasted so long, however, as Yuffie's natural tendency to chatter kicked in. "So what's your world like, Amber?" she asked. Amber smiled absently at the ceiling as she thought about her favorite subject, her home.

"There's a lot of it I haven't seen yet," she admitted, "but my hometown was very rural. Almost everyone owned a farm or a shop, and the biggest meeting places in town were the central well and the tavern at the inn. The tavern was the only place to get a drink, too, other than water or milk, and they had the best cider for miles around. We would always steal fruit from their orchards…" Amber rambled on, occasionally prompted by questions from Yuffie and sometimes lifting reddened hands from the water to gesture vaguely. White bands, about two inches apart, stood stark against the heated skin on her wrists. Aerith was drifting off when they flashed before her eyes, and she seized on a pause in the dialogue.

"What's that on your wrists?"

Amber glanced at her wrists, surprised at the change in topic. "Oh," she said, shrugging. "just scars." Yuffie leaned forward slightly, and Amber dutifully presented her wrist for inspection.

"Those are some pretty nasty scars," she remarked. "What happened?"

Amber retrieved her arm and rubbed the smooth white strips thoughtfully. "Manacles. I rubbed myself raw trying to get out of them." She shrugged. "I've had worse."

"Really?" Yuffie's curiosity was peaked. Aerith's concern showed on her face, but she didn't say anything. "Like what?"

Amber hesitated for a long moment before shrugging mentally. It couldn't hurt. The water sloshed against the sides of the tub as Amber turned to reveal her back to Yuffie's inquisitive eyes. A moment of quiet passed, and the young ninja's eyes widened. Wide strips of porcelain stretched from the middle of her shoulder blades to her lower back, where they melted together so that everything between her stark hips was blindingly white. The effect was reminiscent of two waterfalls falling into the same pool.

"What happened?" This time Aerith breathed the query. Amber shrugged and spun slowly to lean back against the side of the pool. Now she noticed the scar that sliced across the redhead's cheek, and the diamond-shaped mark of an embedded arrowhead on her arm.

"The Church sent soldiers on dragonback to kidnap my brother, but I hid him in the woods, so they grabbed me instead." She shrugged again. "One of the dragons hooked its claws into my back when I tried to run, but it lost its grip while we were flying over a neighbor's haystack. It's the only reason I'm alive." Amber abruptly stood and stepped out of the bath. From behind the course fabric of a towel, she asked, "I heard Sora was here. Have you seen him?"

Both girls jumped at the sudden change of conversation. "He left yesterday," Yuffie replied quickly as she hopped onto the tiled floor. "We tried to hold him, but he was moving too fast."

Amber pulled a plain brown shirt and skirt she had picked up at the Coliseum over her armor. She was dressed and ready to move before Aerith picked up her dress. Already her skin was fading back to its former pallor, hiding the white lines of the scars from view.

"Where was he going?" Her voice was brisk and all business.

Aerith shrugged into her jacket as Yuffie answered, "I don't know. Cid would, though. He's back at the house." The ninja grabbed her weapons belt from a hook on the wall. "Let's go!"

- - - -

Cloud had traipsed upstairs to grab a shower when the front door burst open. Yuffie catapulted through the doorway and into the table, but Leon didn't blink.

"Hiya, Leon!" she cried cheerfully. "Is Cid in?" Amber and Aerith walked in more sedately. He nodded to them.

"Cloud's upstairs," he informed Aerith. Her face split into a radiant smile.

"Cid's sleeping. Don't wake him up," he told Yuffie sternly.

Cid thumped down the stairs. "Too late," he said gruffly. "Waddaya want?"

"Do you know where Sora went?" Amber's voice was full of amusement. At the top of the stairs, Cloud froze.

Cid rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "He needed a damn warp gummi installed," he said finally, "So it won't be close. Ya'll need one too. Hold on a sec…" He wandered upstairs and past Cloud. "Heya, Spikey."

Yuffie bounded up the stairs, grabbed Cloud's arm, and dragged him down the wooden steps. "Cloud's back!" she announced unnecessarily. Guilt flickered once as he saw the relieved glow in Aerith's face but quickly vanished.

"Cloud," the flower girl said happily and enfolded him in a hug. To Leon's great amusement, she continued to hold him long after he became uncomfortable.

"Hi, Aerith," Cloud replied gently as he tried to ease his way out of her arms. She giggled and let him go, stepping back to Amber's side. Yuffie jumped up behind them.

"I don't think you've met," Aerith began, gesturing to Amber. "This is-"

"We've met." Cloud's cold voice stopped Aerith's introduction in its tracks, but his ire was not intended for her. His glowing blue gaze was directed at Amber. She lifted her chin slightly and stared back confidently before clarifying.

"At the Coliseum. We fought, but we didn't have the opportunity to exchange introductions." She forced a friendly smile and took a step forward. "I'm Amber, and it's a pleasure to meet you. You must be Cloud." Her golden eyes smirked a challenge at him as she extended her hand. Cloud's gaze flickered to the proffered appendage and back up.

Aerith stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, not understanding the soldier's sudden aggression. "Cloud," she said softly, "are you okay?"

Cid thumped loudly down the stairs. "I've got the gummi, and I should be able to- what the hell is goin' on here?"

Leon had unconsciously shifted closer to his gunblade at Cloud's icy tone. Now he casually placed a hand on it. "Just some friendly introductions," he said calmly. Aerith withdrew her hand and stepped back, confused. "Amber, Cloud. Cloud, Amber. Everybody set?"

Amber threw a sardonic grin in his direction, but it looked a bit strained. "Good enough for me," she remarked, and dropped her hand. "Cid, what were you saying?"

Leon caught Cloud's eye and gave him a warning look and a slight shake of his head. The blonde relaxed slightly, and his body lost its aggressive stance. "I'm going for a walk," he said abruptly. Leon pushed himself off the table.

"I'll go too," he announced. The pair swept swiftly out the door, before either female could protest.

Cid shook his head. "I don't know what the hell that was about, and I don't want to. Listen, it'll take an hour or so to install the gummi. Hang around town, take a nap, whatever, just don't show up at the garage 'til an hour's up. Capische?"

Amber nodded and moved for the door. "I think I'll walk around, too. Maybe I'll go see Merlin." With that parting comment, her silhouette was gone. Cid followed her out before the door swung shut.

Yuffie and Aerith looked at each other bewilderedly. "What just happened?"

* * *

Toodles, y'all!


	7. Dealing with the Devil

Wooo, Chapter 7. Have fun.

* * *

In short, tense phrases, Cloud told Leon of the events at the Coliseum- the fight, their brief argument, and the final battle. They walked in silence as Leon digested the information.

"We'll have to watch her," he said finally. "I haven't seen any violent tendencies, but it sounds like-"

Amber's voice carried through the streets, and Cloud motioned for silence. Together, they crept towards the sound.

Amber was sitting in the middle of the courtyard that led to Merlin's house. She seemed to be talking to her hand.

"Are you sure, Artemis?" she asked doubtfully. "These things are dangerous."

A young, cultured voice snorted. "I highly doubt they're so dangerous you can't kill them if they get out of control." Even from a distance, they could see her roll her eyes.

"Whatever," she said. "Standby for notes and specimens."

"Standing by," said a different, deeper voice.

Amber sighed and stared at the deep shadow cast by the pipe. "Well, alright then, one at a time." She beckoned with a finger.

A Shadow wriggled out from under the pipe and rose from the ground. It took a few menacing steps toward her, its antennae whipping back and forth.

"You don't intimidate me," she informed it tartly. It cocked its head at her words, antennae pausing momentarily.

Black flowed from her palms to cover her hands until she wore dark gloves. Amber crooked a finger at the Heartless, and it obediently came closer.

"Note: The specimen responds to basic commands."

"Noted," the deep voice said again.

The Shadow paused just outside of her reach, twitching back and forth uncertainly. Amber smiled at it gently.

"Hello," she said soothingly. "I'm Amber. That's my name. Do you have a name?"

It moved its head back and forth confusedly. Amber placed a darkened hand on her breast and repeated slowly, "Am-ber." She held the same hand out to the Shadow. Its antennae bobbed up and down. Placing her hands on her head, Amber mimicked the motions (adding clicks they hadn't heard), but it shook its head again, this time in negation. It moved again more slowly, this time clicking clearly. She copied him once more, and now it nodded as if pleased.

"Do you mind if I call you SNO?" she asked it, and it shook its head. "Note: Subject demonstrates identity of self and language capabilities. Is also capable of understanding complex concepts."

"Noted."

"Will you come closer?" she directed at the Shadow. It clambered into her protected hands, and she lifted it into the air, studying it carefully.

"Note: No visible sexual organs." She clicked gently at her captive and listened to the seeming reply. "No gender differences either." Gently, she set him back on the ground.

"Noted."

"You speak their language already?" Now the younger, more imperious voice was back. Amber chuckled.

"You forget, I'm a Speaker."

"Ah, yes. My I study you next?"

Amber laughed outright and hoisted the Shadow into the air again. "Do you want Sno or not?"

A sigh. "Alright, pass it through." A dark spot appeared in the air and she placed the Heartless into it, clicking gently all the time. Both Heartless and portal vanished as she withdrew her hands.

"Why Sno?" The deep voice asked.

"Subject Number One." She grinned impishly. "Artemis, don't forget my payment."

The young one sighed. "Here you are."

A large silver coin appeared in her hand. She flipped it eagerly between her fingers before tucking it into a pouch. "Pleasure doing business with you," she said as she rose and sketched an elegant bow.

The two voices spoke in unison. "Likewise."

Humming merrily, Amber half-walked, half-skipped towards Merlin's home.

Once she was out of earshot, Cloud turned to Leon. "What is she up to?" he asked quietly. Leon shook his head.

"A spy, maybe?" the blonde mused. "Or a mercenary? How can she handle the Heartless like that?"

"With special gloves," quipped a voice behind them. Startled, they leapt around and brought their weapons to bear. Amber crossed her legs calmly, secure on her high stone ledge. "And neither a spy nor a mercenary, though I've been both. I was helping a friend conduct research on the Heartless, and he paid me to gather a sample." The silver coin appeared in her hand again briefly before disappearing between her fingers. "Although you could just _ask_." She sounded peeved.

"Amber, you were just talking to a Heartless," Leon reasoned. "You'll forgive us if we're a bit suspicious."

She shrugged and pushed herself off the ledge, landing gracefully on her feet. "Whatever you think, you needn't worry that I'll kill you in your sleep. I'm just looking for a way back home." She fluttered her fingers at them as she waltzed down the stairs. "Oh, and by the way? Sneaking up on me doesn't work. You two have such strong scents I can sense you a mile away." Humming, she strolled across the square and into one of the many side-streets of Traverse Town.

- - -

Half an hour later, Cid had finished installing the warp gummi on the ship- the CDS Cactuar, as Amber was informed. When she inquired, Cid told her that CDS stood for 'Cid's Damn Ship' and that she didn't want to know why it was called the Cactuar. Something about a desert island and lots of needles.

"Lock and load, girl," he advised. "And bring her back in one piece, you hear me?"

Sora's trail made a stop-over in the Coliseum. Beside the gate floated another gummi ship, somewhat familiar. It was probably Cloud's, but his presence was unimportant. She would be quick.

Her first stop was Phil, inquiring if Sora had mentioned his destination. Of course he hadn't, but it was worth a try. Then he asked her where Cloud was.

She stared at him, confused, before shaking her head. "Why would I know where he is?" she asked rhetorically.

Phil chewed his lip. "I'm worried," he admitted. "The last time anyone saw him was with Hades, and if that burn-out of a god gets his hands on a fighter like that…"

Amber perked up. "I'll go look for him," she offered. Phil crossed his arms above his ample stomach.

"Can you handle the Underworld?" he asked simply. She waved a hand negligently.

"Just point me in the right direction."

As soon as she stepped foot in the dank caves of the Underworld, she felt the dark power resting in the walls, in the dust underfoot, in the cool mist she breathed. Her senses expanded to fill the dark god's domain, and she reveled in the feeling of every spirit's presence and the sheer power that flooded her. A short distance away, a scent pulsing with Mako energy stood with a creature darker than death. _That would be Cloud_, she decided, _so the other one must be the god._

The mist parted silently as she walked, revealing the path in front of her. More than once, the fog cleared off to the side, showing her a shortcut or guiding her around obstacles. It was as if the Underworld itself was helping her reach her goal. _I could get used to this,_ she thought.

Through the next door, Amber spotted Cloud's spiky blonde hair, a bright contrast to her drab surroundings. He looked tired, as if he hadn't slept in a long time, but he stood straight and his eyes had a defiant spark.

"-don't see why I have to do this," Amber heard as she got closer. "I ate a pear. So what?"

Long, grey fingers curled out from behind the wall and touched the center of his chest. "Because…" The fingers pinched and drew back. Cloud gasped and clutched at his chest as a thin, glowing thread followed them. "You ate of the Underworld. And now I own you. So-" The fingers released suddenly, and the string snapped back into his chest. He sagged slightly, his normally pale face bone-white, but he kept his grip on the Buster and managed to stay upright. The owner of the fingers advanced on the fighter, bringing his long, angular face close to Cloud's. "You are going to challenge Hercules to a duel. And then you will defeat him, and-"

"It won't work," Amber interrupted from her languid pose on the cave wall. The god's attention snapped to her, and he bared his sharp teeth in a suppressed scream of frustration.

"Why not?" he hissed.

She met his yellow gaze calmly. "That glow that surrounds him? That's a god's blessing." She shrugged. "It doesn't really do much, but it does tend to swing things in his favor- even chances become slightly weighted, weighted chances become certainties. In a fight, so much depends on luck that even sending an army at him is useless." She shook her head sadly as red flames flickered among the blue on his head. "You have to be sneakier than that."

"What would you suggest, then?" he inquired smoothly. "His girl is hard to get to, his servant is loyal, and the general staff has been warned against me."

Amber levered herself off the wall. "Well," she began, "It depends on what you're willing to pay." Ignoring Cloud's horrified gaze, she continued. "I'll give you a game plan for one soul, of my choosing."

Hades smiled, once again revealing his needle-like teeth. "Very well," he purred. "I'll even pay up first. Which soul?"

"His," Amber dictated, pointing down the corridor at Cloud. The god didn't even turn around, just snapped his fingers.

"Done," he intoned. "So what's the game plan?"

"There are only a few ways heroes can be killed," she told him. "Betrayal, and exhaustion. Betrayal would work best here- nab his servant and force him to drug his wine. When Herc's asleep, have the servant slit his throat. Works like a charm." She inspected her nails and waited for the inevitable outburst.

It didn't come. Hades' long, icy fingers wrapped around her shoulder, and she forced down a shiver. "Now," he purred in her ear, "I don't think you heard me correctly before when I said that his servant was loyal." His suddenly sharp claws tightened warningly. "You're going to give me a plan that works, now, or I'll take my payment back. With interest."

"It will work," Amber retorted calmly, still not daring to break out of his grasp. Here, he was no match for her, but she needed him… "I can make it work."

The finger relaxed slightly. "Then do so." Now came the hard part. She took a breath.

"No. That wasn't part of the original deal. There's your plan of action- anything else will cost extra." There. It was done. If she had miscalculated, she would pay dearly.

Hades finally let go and studied her with narrowed eyes. "Clever," he admitted grudgingly. "Name your price."

"I need you to break down a wall." She smiled grimly, hardly believing her luck. "I'll pay first this time. Can you get me his servant?" Hades waved a hand, and two demons appeared behind his shoulder.

"Bring me Demetri," he ordered. The two demons bowed and vanished.

"Demos and Phobos," he offered by way of explanation. Amber nodded politely but said nothing. Both ignored the blonde swordsman collapsing against the wall.

Shortly after, the two demons appeared again, now dragging a young man between them. They deposited him at their master's feet and promptly vanished. Demetri rolled onto his back and gasped for air.

Amber clucked sympathetically. "Oh, you poor dear," she murmured. "Here, sit up, there you go. Better?" She crouched down in front of him. "Look at me, dear," she whispered, and gently placed two fingers under his chin. "There we go…"

She caught and held his gaze for one moment, two, three, before he suddenly went limp. Amber dusted off her hands and stood up. "Stand up," she ordered briskly. The kind tone was completely gone. Cloud watched in shock as Demetri pushed himself awkwardly to his feet, like a puppet with an irritated master jerking at the strings. For a moment, Cloud caught sight of the dead eyes in his expressionless face. His head jerked around and faced Amber.

"There you are," Amber told Hades with satisfaction. "He's completely obedient now, and will obey you as long as your will is stronger than whoever is challenging you. Obey him and answer all his questions truthfully," she ordered the blank servant. He gave no response.

"And if you'll come with me…?" she hinted impatiently. Hades stopped staring at his new tool and shook his head roughly.

"Sorry about that," he said smoothly, "lead the way." He gestured gallantly.

Her portal was almost invisible in the dank caverns.

- - - -

Amber pointed to the barrier separating her from her home. "There it is," she stated flatly. "Can you break it?"

Hades shrugged and pushed up his sleeves. "I can try," was his response. Bowing his head, he placed both hands on the barrier. Fire erupted from his hands, and the flame on his head blazed brighter. It spread in a pool around his hands and grew so bright that Amber had to turn away. Slowly, the fire died enough that she could see again.

A tiny hole surrounded by flame caught her eye, but even as she watched it began to close in on itself. The indentation caused by Hades' fireball was slowly filling in, until it was as smooth and whole as when she had first seen it. She eyed the silvery wall with loathing.

Hades shrugged at her. "I tried."

Amber took a deep breath and struggled to control her temper. "I know," she said finally. "Thank you." After all, it wasn't his fault the necromancers were clever little snakes. She opened a doorway back to the Underworld. "Shall we?"

- - - -

A moment after they left the cavern, they reappeared. Amber went to Cloud and draped his arm over her shoulder. "Just so you know," she told Hades as she heaved Cloud to his feet, "not everyone's strong enough for the treatment I gave him. There's a possibility that he'll die from it." Here she nodded at Demetri.

"I won't need him for long," Hades dismissed. He waved a hand at her casually. "Nice doing business with you."

"Likewise," she responded with irony. Carefully, she helped Cloud shuffle towards the exit.

As soon as they stepped out into the sunshine, the swordsman surged with sudden strength. He stopped leaning on Amber and slung the Buster easily over his shoulder, where before it had been all he could do to drag it along behind him. Beside him, Amber winced against the sudden brightness and felt the extra power drain from her back into the realm of the dead. _Oh well,_ she thought philosophically. Cloud made to stride away, but halted and turned to her. "Thanks for saving me," he said abruptly.

Amber snorted. "Don't thank me," she told him drily. "I didn't do it for you." She brushed past him and into Cid's gummi ship. Cloud shook his head and walked back into the training compound.

Amber watched his retreating back through the window of the gummi ship with narrow eyes. Only after he had completely disappeared from sight did she launch the gummi ship back into space.

- - - -

Despite the warp gummi, it took her almost a week to get to the next world. The trail ended at a desert world, then doubled back towards Traverse Town again. She glared at the display.

"I am _not_ going back," she announced to no one. "I refuse." Contemplating the world in front of her, she sighed and went to land the ship.

One short corridor later and Amber was standing in Cid's workshop. "Cid!" she shouted. "Where are you?" There was a muffled thump, followed by a string of curses. She followed them to the source.

Cid slid out from under a gummi ship, rubbing his head. "Whadduh ya want?" he bellowed. He blinked in surprise. "Amber. Where's the Cactuar?" His eyes began to narrow, but Amber raised a pacifying hand.

"Your ship is fine. Sora's trail leads back here. Is he still in town?"

Cid toyed with the piece of straw in his mouth. "Naw. He got a new stealth gummi installed, but then he went right back off. He's goin' to Agrabah, if ya wanna know."

Amber stopped herself from rubbing her temples. "What does the stealth gummi do?" Cid scowled.

"It covers up his trail! What else'd a stealth gummi do?"

She nodded. "Thanks, Cid." Another corridor had her back in the CDS Cactuar.

The dry desert heat bore down on her relentlessly as she made her careful way through the crowded and winding streets. Vendors hawked goods of all types and descriptions, and Amber's practiced eye caught businessmen of another type working their way through the throng. She caught one by the wrist as he casually reached for her obviously-exposed purse.

"I need information," she told him. The frightened boy tugged gingerly at his arm. "Where can I get it?" Trembling, he pointed to a hole in the wall. She nodded and released him. He scampered away.

The shop inside was dark and dingy, but the goods on the shadowy shelves had the look of the expensive, questionably legal kind. The shopkeeper sidled up to her.

"And how can I help the young miss?" he wheedled. "Perhaps a trinket? This amulet is guaranteed to attract the eyes of men wherever you go. Or maybe you've already got your eye on a young man. Just slip this into his drink and-" She cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"I've no interest in your wares, merchant," she informed him haughtily. "I require information, and I hear you're the place to get it."

His beady eyes began to shine greedily. He bowed. "'Tis true, I hear more than most folk do. What is it the young miss wishes to know?"

"A young man passed through here a short time ago. Spiky brown hair, bright blue eyes, about so tall. He may have had two companions with him, and they all would have been dressed oddly. He also may have been involved in any recent fighting. I need to know where he went, where he's going, and what his plans are. Can you do that?" He bowed.

"Surely I can, but the young miss should know that my services cost. Forgive my manners, but if we could discuss the matter of payment-"

"ABU!"

The merchant jumped back in indignant shock as a shrieking monkey tore into his shop, followed by a very out-of-breath young man. Amber grabbed the monkey's tail as it dashed by her and lifted it off the ground. It peered at her owlishly before breaking into excited chatter.

"-pretty pretty shiny shiny MINE! Aladdin mad chase Abu Abu good boy shiny mine…"

Amber shook her head and looked at Aladdin. "Is he yours?" He nodded sheepishly.

"Thanks," he said with sincerity. He looked Abu straight in the eyes. "Abu! Remember what Sora told you? No more stealing! No more!" The monkey made apologetic motions with his paws.

Aladdin turned toward Amber and the now-fuming merchant. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "He's a little wild sometimes." Amber took a step forward.

"It's quite alright," she soothed. "But maybe you can help me. I'm looking for a kid named Sora. Do you know where he is?"

"Oh, you just missed him!" Aladdin cried. "He left in his ship just this morning."

Amber visibly brightened. "Did he say where he was going?" The street rat crushed her hopes with a sad shake of his head.

"He didn't name a name, I'm sorry." She shrugged and smiled brightly again.

"Thank you!" Amber walked with a spring in her step out of the hole in the wall, despite the merchant's protests. She was that much closer to home.

- - - - -

Humming tunelessly, she contemplated the display. "If I were a teenage boy, where would I go?" she murmured to herself. Her eyes wandered along the path to a strangely dark world. _Halloween Town_ flashed on the screen. "Let's try that one."

…

"Sora!" she cried. He turned around.

"Who are you?" he asked with blunt curiosity. She smiled brightly.

"My name's Amber. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."Amber shook his hand vigorously.

* * *

Has she finally achieved her goal? of course not! I'm far too evil for that.

Reviews?


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